Internal-combustion engine.



No. 658,993. atented Oct. 2, I900. E. A.MITC.HELL. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Appi'ication filed Mar. 8, 1899.1 I (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 658,993. I Patented Oct. 2, I900.

E. A. MITCHELL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Applicatiomflled Mar. 8, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shaet 2.

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No. 658,993. Patented Oct. '2, I900. E A MITCHELL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Apphca-tmn filed Km- 8, 1899) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

THE norms PETERS 00.. PuoTo-uma, WSNINGTON, 0. :24

NITED S'rrvr s PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD ALBERT MITCHELL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,993, dated October 2, 1900.

Application filed March 8, 1899. ,Serial No. 708,209. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LEDWARD ALBERT MITcH- ELL, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 66 Thornlaw road,West Norwood, London, in'the county of Surrey, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvent-ion relates to an improved internal-combustion engine.

The object of my said invention is to provide an engine in which a working stroke may be given to the piston once duringevery revolution of the crank-shaft without the use of a force-pn mp for compressing the motive fluid, as commonly employed in engines of the type under consideration. In place of this pump I provide a closed chamber in which the motive fluid is under pressure, and the pressure which I contemplate making use of is that occasioned by the production of combustible gas in a confined spaceas, for instance, by the action of dilute acid on granulated zinc or by the action of water upon a combination of calcium and hydrocarbon or upon calcium carbid or any other similar compound. The gas under pressure is thus generated immediately in connection with the engine in which it is to be employed and is supplied direct thereto.

In the accompanying-drawings, Figure l is an elevation of an improved engine construcb ed according to my invention. vertical section of the cylinder and adjacent parts of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view, portions of the same being removed; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1.

1 is the generator or reservoir holding the compressed motive fluid, and 2 the pipe connecting said generator with the feed-valve 3 of the engine. Said pipe is provided with a stop-valve 4 and a reducing-valve 5 of any suitable type.

6 is the cylinder of the engine, which is provided with a water-jacket 7, as usual in engines of this type.

8 is the piston; 9, the piston-rod; 10, the cross-head; 11, the connecting-rod; 12, the crank, and 13 the crank-shaft, which is supported in suitable bearings 14, mounted on the bed-plate 15 of the engine.

The cylinder 6 is supported on a casting 16, which also forms the guides for the crosshead 10.

Fig. 2 is a- 17 is the exhaust opening from the cylinder,

ter the cylinder through a chamber 19 when the valve 20 is open. Said valve, which is normally maintained closed by a spring 21, is controlled by a cam 22, supported on the shaft At the lower end of the cylinder is a second opening 24, which communicates, through the pipe 25, with the chamber 19, the open end of said pipe projecting into the opening 18 above mentioned.

26'is a valve located at the entrance to pipe and normally maintained closed by a spring 27. Said valve is controlled by the cam 28, also secured to shaft 23. Said shaft 23 is supported in bearing 29 and is driven through gear-wheels 30 31 from the crank-shaft 13. The shaft 23 is provided with a governor 32 of any suitable type, the movable portion 33 of which carries an arm 34, adapted to'engage with an inclined block 35, secured to a lever 36. .This lever is provided with a fixed pivot 37 and is connected by a link 38 with the feedvalve 3. Said feedvalve is normally maintained closed by a spring 39 in the usual manner.

The igniting device may be of any suitable construction, that shown in the drawings being, for example, an electrical device con- ;sisting of a platinum wire 40, joined in series with-a battery 41 or other suitable source ofelect'rical energy. Said igniting device is located at the place where the motive fluid enters the cylinder.

42 is a stop-cock provided in the opening 24 for a purpose hereinafter mentioned.

The operation of my improved engine is as follows: The gas,which is either generated or stored under pressure in the chamber 1,passes through pipe 2 and reducing-valve 5, through stop-valve 4,when the latter is open,and feedvalve 3 into the cylinder 6 above the piston. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2 the piston is at the upper end of its stroke and is about to move down, the valve 20 is closed, and the air in the upper part of the cylinder has been compressed through the previous upward stroke of the piston. The

amount of air in the cylinder is sufficient to more than support combustion of the motive fluid supplied during the working stroke. The valve 3 being open by the action of arm 34 on block 35, thereby raising the lever 36, the gas which is stored or generated in the chamber. 1 and the pressure of which is greater than that of the air compressed in the cylinder 6 during the previous back stroke of the piston flows into the cylinder,

impinging against the igniting device at 40, being thereby ignited and heating the compressed air or moisturein the cylinder. The piston thereupon moves downward, the valve 3 being maintained open for a suitable length of time, which is determined by the operation of the governor 32. After the valve 3 has closed,the heated air in the cylinder continues to expand, moving the piston P forward until the exhaust-port 17 is uncovered by the piston and the upper part of the cylinder is opened to the exhaust. During the downward motion of the piston the air in that part of the cylinder below is forced out first of all through the exhaust-port 17; but when said port is covered by the piston, the valve 26 being open, the air escapes through the pipe 25 into the chamber 19. Almost immediately after the upper part of the cylinder is opened to exhaust through port 17 the valve 20 is caused to open by the operation of the cam 22, and air rushes in through the opening 18, chamber 19, and through the cylinder and exhaust-port 17, thereby clearing out the products of combustion. The direction of the current of air through the cylinder is determined by the fact that the exhaustport 17 is opened before the valve 20 opens. Just before the piston reaches the bottom of its stroke the valve 26 is, owing to the shape of the cam 28, permitted to close under pressure of the spring 27, and the air remaining in the lower portion of the cylinder is slightly compressed. Before, however, the piston has reached the dead-point said valve is opened again and the compressed air permitted to rush out through the pipe 25. As the piston moves forward on its upstroke, the valve 20 will remain open until just before the piston covers the port 17, the remainder of the upstroke serving to compress the air in the upper portion of the cylinder until when the piston reaches its uppermost position the feed-valve is again opened and the cycle recommences.

If the cock Iis closed, the supply of motive fluid to the engine is cut ofi, while if the cook 42 is closed the air remaining in the lower part of the cylinder when the piston has covered the port 17 will be compressed during the forward motion of the piston, or a vacuum will be formed if the piston is moving back ward. In either case the movement of the piston will be arrested.

It will be understood that my invention is not restricted to the precise type of engine illustrated, but that other types of engine may be readily constructed in accordance with my invention.

What I claim is 1. In a continuous-combustion gas-engine having an impulse every revolution, the combination of a generator for generating combustible gas under pressure, a valve for admitting air to the cylinder during the latter part of the out-stroke and during the first portion of the return stroke, means for closing said valve during the latter part of the return stroke, a valve for admitting the gas under pressure direct from the generator to the cylinder during the first portion of the working stroke of the piston said valve being closed during the latter portion of the working stroke, and means for igniting the gas while the same is being admitted to the cylinder.

2. In an internal-combustion engine having an impulse every revolution, the combination of a generator for generating combustible gas under pressure, a cylinder closed at both ends, a piston movable in said cylinder, a valve for permitting the escape of air in front of the piston d uring the working stroke, a valve for admitting air to the cylinder during the first portion of the return stroke of the piston, means for closing said valve during the latter portion of said return stroke, a valve for admitting the motive fluid under pressure from the generator to the cylinder during the first part of the working stroke of the piston, said valve being closed during the latter part of the working stroke, and means for igniting the motive fluid while the same is being admitted to the cylinder, substantially as described.

3. In an internal-combustion engine having an impulse every revolution, the combination of a cylinder closed at both ends, a piston movable in said cylinder, a chamber open to the air and connected through another opening to the rear end of the cylinder, a valve for closing said opening during the latter part of the return stroke, and the first part of the working stroke of said piston, a pipe connecting the space in front of the piston with the atmosphere, and projecting into the chamber, connected with the rear part of the cylinder, a valve in said pipe, and means for closing said valve for a short time before the piston reaches the end of its working stroke, substantially as described.

4:. In an internal-combustion engine having an impulse every revolution, a cylinder, a piston, movable in said cylinder, an exhaustport opening out of said cylinder, means for opening said port before the piston reaches the end of its working stroke, a chamber open to the air and connected through another opening to the rear end of the cylinder, a valve in said opening and means for opening said valve after the opening of the exhaustport, and closing same before the closing of said port.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD ALBERT MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK WILLIAM LE TALL, B. BRAY.

IIO 

